Pendant electric fixture.



N0.-857,o24. PATENTED JUNE is. 19o? y w. L. BEAESEAW.

PENDANT ELECTRIC ETXTUEE.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 29, 1903.

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To 0,27 whom it may concern:

Be it'known that i,WA-LTERL. BaADsHAiv, a'riiizen of the United States, residing at ',Canibridgeport, in' the county of Middlesex, f5 State oi' R'lassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pendant Electric Fixtures', of which the following is a full, Y clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, formingT ior part of vthis speciiication and explaining its '.nature.l y Y My inventienhas lor its object the protection vet pendant electric 'fixtures whereby the .weight of a lamp or other electrical translat 15` ing device may be'sustained positively by the conducting cord, thereby taking the weight otf'ef `thehinding terminal screws et' the fixture and affording reliel from all strains. i l go4 'It 1s Well known' that unless son'ie means oflanelectric'fixture from the strain of the Weight of theconducting. cord and thelainp', the line terminals are likely to be torn out,

the fixture, and, L in many instances, fire. The ineansnow generally in use for relieving 'the ,binding screws are imperfect and unsatisfactory. Althoughdefective and undesir- 3c; able in many Way s, the means referred to still continue in use for want ot a more ellicicnt construction; Briefly, such means consist of a simple knotting ofthe cord above the base and inside ofY the cap at the socket )ieee oi 33 the fixture,- and in the ease of the ceiling rosette, inside the rosette belo'wtlwI terminal serle-vifs.y The practical objections to the knot t are niany. y lIl the lamp and cord have con- "sid lble Weight the knot may fail" to hold at away'as t9 ultimately cause short eircuitingr. The rlril'lileA knot,I and evcnli single knot, is

` objeetioiiablefin that it' often y base'irom beingproperly pus lcd u) into 45 placein1 the socket.V fh/ioreovor, whillc the use of the kno-tis objectionable in such j unc- `tion fixtures'as rosettcsand lain p sockets, in

y other junction Xtures,f-such, for instance as plugs,V the useofthe'lini't is practically iin- 5'0 ossible because space lcrthc saine is entirely i, f tosupportbut a fewpoiulds. Other objec- @tions to theiknot are' that it is ordinarily cn- Specification of Letters Patent. I "Appiicnnu nea Auguste, 190s. serai No, rnoe.'

'c are provided for relieving the binding' screws i c5 causingshort circuiting anda burning out of' 4o allfor the cords maybecoinc cut or so worn proven ts the YVlflrcflanip supporting tirely'concealed from view and rai'inet/"lic i Patented June 1e, 1907.

l seen until the socket has -been taken apart; and that although it is now required by all underwriters, Vas a matter of fact, electricians will not uniformly takethey trouble to make the knot, but will instead attach the cords directly to the bindingr posts'of the junction del to take `the 'fixings apart tosee that the knots serious loss.

My invcntion, specifically, consists of a clamp in the nature oi' achuck grip, Which i's adapted to be screwed into, otherwise attached to the ceiling .rosette or to the lamp socket, or other junction devices. The cord for the conducting wires passes through the clamp, and upon properY manipulation the clamp positively engages the cord. The advantages ol' my clamp are that the cord is not so liable 'to be jammed or cut; The gripping` surface of the clamp may be of conslderable extent, and ol. a na une to grip the cord uniformly, distributingthe strain -niore is released lroni` contact with the cord, the coidmay be moved in either direction through the clamp. The clamp isattached to thc cord in plain View and can be readily Ytr-slcd by an ins ieetor as to its eperativcness. It may also he oi a neat and attractive design and thus add tothe appea anceothcfixture. For a further and more detailed description oi my device for .relieving the strain on thc conducting wire termihalsoi the clcctrical translating device, rcfmence may he had .to the accon'ipauying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation 'of the lamp supH iort, the parts beingv assembled and detached iron'i the terminal fixture. Fig. 2 is a viewin elevation' oi cue of. the parts of my device, being in theV nature of a cup provided with a threaded nipple for attachment tothe termi nal lixture. l l"ig.,3'is a view in elevation of another detail-of ni device, the saine boing a split sleeve ada ite( to be inserted ufith'iu the piece shown in iiig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in cle- 'vation ol' the third detail of my device, thoy saine consistingi of a cap adapted to engage the cup shown in Fig. 2 and also to engage thel sleeve shown in Fig. 3 to force said sleeve within said cup. liigjf is'a sectional view of clamp iu cooperative relation to a ceiling' rosette, which is also Unir-n earner-erreur union `y WALTER L. nRAnsuAW; or cAa/mninenroiar, MAssAoHnsirrs,.AssIGNoRy Br Massiv assieuunurs, 'ro- JonN n. R. nAYns, or Menaces, MAssA- vice, and inspectors will not take the trouble have been tied. The result is often fire and equally over the lamp cord and thereby sus- A taining greater We`1g'its,.- VVhdn 'the clampv "Fig l, an(

shown in section, which 1s shown as passing through the clamp and attached to the rosette. Fig. 61s a top plan view of the split sleeve and its clamping.

jaws shown in elevation in Fig. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of a. modified rosette to which my lamp supporting clamp may be atn taohed. Fig. 8 is a conducting oord, my a socket sind Edison l relation.

My laurov supporting clamp, as before stated, is shown assembled in perspectivelin it is comprised of threeparte, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, neiiiely, a hollow shell or cup-like member, e chuck member formed on the split sleeve, `and en encircling top or cap, all as heretofore mentioned.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 5, e hollow cuplike shell or chamber l is provided lwith a hollow extension 2 forming a. nipple or neck through which the conducting cord or other wire carrying means is adapted to ass. 'The extension 2 is shown threaded w iereby the supporting clamp may be screwed to the rosette, or to the lain socket, as the case may be. The inside Wal of the cup, as shown at 3 in Fig. 5, flares or slopes outwardly away from the neck 2 for the purpose presentlyto be described. The chamber or cup is pro vided with a. rim or cylindrical extension Il and -at its extremity it is provided with screw-threads 5 for the adjustable attachnient of en inclosing cap.

rlhe forni of clasp forming pert of my supporting device is shown in Figs. 3 and 5. t

of cylinor the con is composed of a sleeye or bushin,Y

Said luishinggl is of insulating drical shape having a passage 7 ducting cord.

material. The edge of the passage is rounded in the usual way, as et 7, to prevent Wearing and cutting of the cord at this point. The bushing or sleeve is iitted et rightenglee to form the tongues or clasping fingers 8. These tongues when in 'their free norrnel oon- 'dition allow. the conductingv cord to poss easily beck and'forth between them. The extreme ends of these tongues .are so formed as to present an interrupted oircuhir flange or lug, the outer surface l() of which is tapered or beveled inwardly and away iner at delinite angle. l lieve shown ,the tongues es preferably cut inwardly or scooped out, as at l5', between their extremes. This, however, is for the erspeotive viewoll the ernpsu porting clam-p, amp, al in cooperative increased resiliency and is not, en essential" feature of their construction. At the juno ture ol the tongues or at the point of their ettaelunent to the bushing is provided an integral flange or shoulder ll. The bushing and clamping lingers are preferably of wood or.

other suitable insulating materiel throughout. This, however, may be subject to some variation, as hereinafter indicated. 1While l have shown the bushing 6 :is integral with l ld l l 'the beveled edges l() of the seme@ together with the cord l the tongues 8, this, ol coursefis not necossary. The tongues may be attached to the bushing 1n any suitable manner.

ln Fig. 4 a cap for operating dnd retaining the clasping means is indicated by l2. 'lho cap is provided with an annular flange i3, interiorly threaded es shown zu i4. The threads L4 of the cap engage the threads 5 of the Cup shell or cosiner for the purpose prosently to be specified. The oep is provided with a centra-l opening l5 of sufficient size to permit it to be slipped over thc sleeve or bushing -6 and to engage the shoulder 11 thereof. lt is also preferably provided with a rnilled flange 15 whereby it may be oonveniently turned.

ln operation the bushing' and its clasping;` tongues are slipped into the cup or casing. The csp is then slipped over the bottom of the bushing and turned so as to slightly ongage on the threads of the cup. The conucting cord is then passed into the opening,r 7 end through the clasping tongues and the cup or easingand is then properly secured to the line terminals. The screw-threaded nipple of the cup isthen tightly screwed into the terminal support, whether it hl socket piece or a rosette, es 'presently to be described. It may be held tight by a setserew as shown at 30. Then upon further turning of the cap upon the cup, the cap ongages the shoulder 11 of the bushing and forces it into the chamber of the cup, causing tongues of said bushing to engage the flaringr well Il ol' the cup. The ends of the tongues passingr along,r the Wall 3 are thereby forced inward so as to tightlyembrace the oord. The bevel 'at the ends of the tongues is such that when the grip is in its locking position the beveled luces of the tongues Contact throughout their length with the wall. The tongues are also preferably so mounted upon the bushing 6 that when in their final and lockingr po. tion they engage the cord throughout their enti e length, thus presenting;- to it a largo and uniform gripping surface. lt is, therefore, aoparent that when in their free und norma position the tongues have s. slight angular inclination outward. The threaded extension or nipple 2 ol' the cup l ls, as :ihovc stated, :adapted to interlock with the threaded extension ol un ordinar f Edison lamp or other-fixture. lt is possile, however, thul. 'the interiocliinp,r ol the cup and the ixturc may be lusoomplishodby other than tlu'elul ed moans, but any such like slight niodilioation ialls entirely within the scopo ol my invention. y

.Although the cup or casing is adopted lor immediate attachment to4 the ordinary socket lixture, es above'described, yet when used in connection with a ceiling rosette, a slight modification of the structure ol' such rosette is generally necessary.

IOO

The ordinary "provided with a sage of the cond fvious, can offer '5 with' the threaf porcelain ceiling rosette is circular opening for the pasucting cord. This, as is obi no. means for.A engagement l led extension vof 4my lamp supporting device. In Figs.v 5 and 7 I have shown`^substantiall rosette 16. commonly used. ever, ofthe ordinary central the form of porcelain Instead, howcircular open? v ToV ing common to rosettes, I have provided an v 3c receive a nut 20 and ,3 provide the 4o cup, and extends s ig itly beyond the extreme end of the onetliirtysecoiid (1/32) insulation, together with the insulating Atureef the bushing `.i 5 sure the fixture from short circuit in case the cord is worn at any opening, a portion of vwhich to provide a chamber. 17.

. tremityof t I 5 the provide a ledge square vchamber hown yas round, and of less diameter than square.chamber-.just mentioned; I thus is made square The lower exhe central opening I have orflange 19.. Within the I have shown a'sq'uare nut 20. vThe threaded portion 21 of the nut is of a diameter to engage the threadof the exten? zo sion Bof the cup. Said upon being inserted opening 18 of the'rosette (see-Fig. 5) and turned to engage the nut,

j prevented there Y-Vhereasl have square shape, it is obvious that such'shape is notessential. vThe other angular or frequisite being t turning within it essential. i W

an interior bushi My hollowwicup or casing 1 is preferablyof brass or similar material, althcugh'this is not "hen, however, it isof'metall pemngin the extension 2 with extension of the cup through the circular is heldin place and by from. being withdrawn. shown Jmy chamber. 17. as of chamber 'may be 0f any irregular form, fthe only hat'it shall be of a shape to prevent thel same from lig 25 of insulatin f material.

.lhisis clearly shown inFig'. 5, an is seen' to b c rovided wit l'i an interior .outwardly exten' ing flange to engage the end wall of the' "the clasp.. Claims. l'. ln iiicande 5o' thc combination tric wire terminals of a de the lamp from the conducting fvice comprising shell, a sleeve e having a which the linger scent electric llight fixtures,

xten slittodto loi'm c l continuous retaining .lia-ngc to s are attached to render the y preferably about ofan inch. This na- 6 and the tongues S, in-

point ofits contact with with a 'support forthe elec- Vice forisupporting cord, said de a ta ering or conc shaped l dliiiginto the shell and laiiping fingersv said sleeve `casing able in the shell the slits in the sieeve forming yielding clampmg, fingers, cam shoulders on.

the fingers and' means for forcing the sleeve into the shell and the cam fingers against the tapering sides of the shell whereby be compressed against the conducting cord when said cord is passed through the supporting device. 3. A device for relieving the terminal connections of electrical translating devices from strain, com rising a hollow tapering or cone shapedshe or casingopen atI each end for tliefpassagefof the conducting cord and havthey may ing at one end a screw threaded -neck or nipple to engage the rosette or lam socket and at its other end. with an extende rim for-the connection of a cap, a hollow block having clamping jaws to engage the conducting cord anda cap piece adjustable 011 the rim of the casing and the jaws against the tapering sides of thc'casing to compress them against theconducting cord so that the weight of the lamp may be taken from the terminals.

4. A device of the character specified having ahollow shell or casing provided with a sloping interior wall and through which the connecting cord er' Wire is adapted to pass, a cord-clamping member or members inside said shellor casing adapted in'part When'- 'IOO pressed 'into .the casing to engage with the 'sloping 4wall thereof and thereby be. made to engage with the .connecting cord -or wire, a ho low. 'insulating' bushing on sald cord or wire connecting with said elainpingmember.

or members, and a cappiececonnecting with and adjustable on the rim of the casing and adapted to force said bushing toward-or into and adapted to force the block into the IOS the shell or casingand said clamping member or members against the sienne sides h b thereof.

- WALTER li. BRADSUAW.

VVitiesses;Y x

M. E. FLAHERTY, i,

WM. L. Momes.- 

